Wednesday, 21 March 2012

Our hand decorated version of this excellent battle chess set. The Battle of Trafalgar was one of the most decisive naval battles ever fought. In the course of a short October afternoon, the Combined Fleet of France and Spain, with 33 battleships, was defeated by a British force of 27 battleships off cape Trafalgar, on the south-west coast of Spain.

Our battle chess set is dedicated to the memory of all those who fought with Nelson, and against him, in a battle where every individual appeared a hero according to Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood.

Our battle chess set has faithfully recreated the atmosphere of the great battle of Trafalgar.

Wednesday, 17 November 2010

It's 24 June, 1314! And time to take your sides in the decisive battle in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Stirling Castle, commanded by Phillip Mowbray, was of great strategic importance and had been beseiged by Edward Bruce, brother of the Scottish king. They reached an agreement. The castle would be surrendered if no relief was forthcoming by midsummer, 1314. The attempt by Edward ll's army to do so failed and one of the most famous Scottish victories in the Wars of Scottish Independence ensued.

Our skillfully hand decorated battle chess set features many of the historic characters from the famous Battle of Bannockburn. The pieces are amazingly detailed.

The English are represented by Edward ll who reigned from 1284 until 1327 when he was deposed, imprisoned and horrifically killed at the behest of his wife, the Queen of England, Isabella of France.

The rook on both sides is the Tower of Old Stirling castle which overlooked the battle from it's site on top of an old volcanic rock. See in our image below how the bricks of the wall of the rook (or castle) actually get smaller as they reach the top. This is authentic for the construction of the time - an amazing aspect of detail which really brings out the quality of the piece.

The Scots side is led by Robert the Bruce, or King Robert l who was famously heartened by the tenacious spider to persist in his struggle against the English. He is accompanied by his Queen Elizabeth de Burgh who was reunited with King Robert after being captured eight years earlier.

Friday, 12 November 2010

It's 6 March, 1836 and time to take your sides in the Battle of the Alamo!

Tha Battle of the Alamo followed a 13-day siege. The Mexican revolutionaries led by President Santa Anna were to defeat about 100 or so Texians who had been garrisoned at the Alamo. But they were ultimately to be defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto on 21 April, 1836 which effectively ended the Texas Revolution.

Now visited by over 2.5 million people every year, the site of the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio remains to this day one of the most visited tourist sites in Texas. It has come to symbolise human sacrifice in the cause of preserving freedom.

Our beautifully sculpted Battle Chess Set remembers the 800 or so who were either killed or wounded in this pivotal battle in the Texas Revolution.

Tuesday, 9 November 2010

This battle chess set design records the Battle of Culloden which took place on 16 April 1746.

It was the war of finality between the French sponsored Jacobites and the Hanoverian British Government in the 1745 Jacobite Rising.

The Battle of Culloden brought the Jacobite cause to restore the House of Stuart to the throne of Britain to a decisive defeat, with Bonnie Prince Charlie not to see the throne.

The army of Charles Edward Stuart comprised Scottish Highlanders, Lowland Scots and a small number of Englishmen. The Jacobites comprised Frenchmen and Irishmen. The British Government forces comprised English, Scots, Ulstermen, Hessians and Austrians.

The meeting took place on Culloden Moor and lasted less than an hour. It was savage in its casualties with 1,500 to 2,000 Jacobites killed and about 50 Government losses.

This war was the last land battle to be fought on mainland Britain.

This decorative battle chess set is remarkable in detail - they are not just hand decorated, but fully hand painted by dedicated artisans.